Hockey leg protectors conventionally have a flexible elongated padding liner positionable around the front of user's leg from the ankle to above the knee (note that common terms such as "shin guards" or "shin pads" are therefore slightly misleading since protection for the knee is also provided). Rigid or semi-rigid shield members such as rigid plastic knee shield and rigid plastic shin shield are sewn or riveted to the padding liner. The knee shield moves with the knee when the user flexes his leg simply by the flexibility of the padding liner. Usually, the length of the leg pad is fixed, but some prior pads allowed adjustments in length.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,411 discloses a protective pad having two adjustable portions which may be secured together at varying relative positions in order to adjust the pad length. More particularly, the pad includes an upper sliding section and a lower sliding section which comprises a mateable portion. The upper sliding section comprises a knee protector and a base portion which comprises a mateable portion including openings. The base portion has an opening which is similar in size and configuration to the openings of the mateable portion. These openings can be brought into registry with the opening of the base portion and an element can then be inserted for locking the two sliding sections in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,956 discloses an adjustable shin pad having a lower portion slidable with respect to an upper portion by virtue of one or more slotted holes in either or both of the upper portion and/or lower portion. Bolts and T-nuts are used in the slots to secure the upper and lower portions together.
Canadian Patent No. 647,906 discloses a leg pad comprising a knee guard, a shin guard and an instep guard with flexible portions. The flexible portion located between the knee and shin guards comprises additional sets of eyelets which may be aligned with the corresponding opening in the shin guard. Thus, to make the leg guard shorter or longer, different eyelets may be aligned with the openings for securing the flexible portion to the shin guard.
While these prior pads provide length adjustments, they require use of bolts, screws, nuts or another element for adjusting the length of the pad and for securing together the two adjustable sections of the pad through registry of slots or openings.
Thus, there is a need in the industry for a pad which provides an easier way to adjust and secure together the different adjustable portions of the pad.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an extensible leg pad including an upper portion comprising a knee shield for covering a substantial part of a front surface of user's knee and a first shin shield along and partially around user's shin, said knee shield and said first shin shield being secured to an upper padding liner positionable over the knee and along and partially around the shin, a lower portion comprising a second shin shield along and partially around the shin which is secured to a lower padding liner positionable along and partially around the shin, said first and second shields having respective first and second overlapping surfaces, and a belt for securing together said upper and lower portions wherein said upper and lower portions allow adjustment of the overall length of said pad, and said belt is responsive to tension for pressing said overlapping surfaces together at a contacting area.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an extensible leg pad including an upper portion comprising a knee shield for covering a substantial part of a front surface of user's knee and a first shin shield along and partially around user's shin, a lower portion comprising a second shin shield along and partially around the shin, said first and second shields having respective first and second overlapping surfaces, and a belt for securing together said upper and lower portions wherein said upper and lower portions allow adjustment of the overall length of said pads and said belt is responsive to tension for pressing said overlapping surfaces together at a contacting area.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an extensible leg pad including an upper portion comprising a knee shield for covering a substantial part of a front surface of user's knee, a lower portion comprising a shin shield along and partially around a user's shin, said knee and shin shields having respective first and second overlapping surfaces, and a belt for securing together said upper and lower portions wherein said upper and lower portions allow adjustment of the overall length of said pad, and said belt is responsive to tension for pressing said overlapping surfaces together at a contacting area.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first shin shield of the upper portion and the second shin shield of the lower portion comprise overlapping surfaces having a portion made of rubber, and such a pad further includes a belt having a strap with loops and hooks sections for securing together the upper and lower portions at the contacting area.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the first shin shield of the upper portion and the second shin shield of the lower portion comprise overlapping surfaces having a portion that includes toothed section capable of interlocking together with positive engagement these sections, such a pad further includes a belt having a strap with loops and hooks sections for securing together the upper and lower portions at the contacting area.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification and to the drawings.